Tube-rolling mill



J RHMANN.

TUBE ROLUNG MILL.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.21. 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

J. REIMANN.

TUBE ROLLING MILL.

' APPLICATION FILED A ue.21, I919.

Patented Dec 6 1921 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JACQUES REIMAIN'N, OF ERDINGTON,

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

TUBE-ROLLIN G MILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

Application filed August 21, 1919. Serial No. 318,964.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. JACQUES B-EIMANN, a subject of the King of England, residing at Erdington, Birmingham, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tube-Rolling Mills, of which the following is a specification' This invention is for improvements in or relating to machines for manufacturing weldless tubes and has particular reference to the type of machine in which the tubes are carried upon a mandrel which is progressively advanced and partially rotated between grooved rollers. Where a sleeve carried by the mandrel-holder extends, on to the mandrel to bear against the end of the bloom and receive the latters thrust during the rolling process, a screw-threaded connection has been provided between the sleeve and the mandrel-carrier, so that toward the end of the rolling process the sleeve can be retracted sufiiciently from the bloom to enable the latter to be finished to its end, thus avoiding waste and facilitating its subsequent removal from the machine in the direction of rolling. Usually the means provided for this purpose comprised spokes on the sleeve to rotate it and thus move it endwise, but such means could not conveniently be employed while the machine was working in the usual manner at its normal speed.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide means for operating the sleeve positively in either direction of endwise movement without interfering with the normal action of the machine. A further object is to provide a simple means of attaching the mandrcls to the mandrel carrier and locking them by means of the aforesaid sleeve.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the manner of carrying out this invention,

Figure 1 is a sectional plan of part of a rolling mill showing the mandrel housing, the sleeve, mandrel holder, and mandrel, with a partly-rolled tube thereon between the rollers, the latter for clearness being shown in sectional side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1 as seen in the direction of the arrow X.

Fig. 3 shows the end portion of a tube passing through the rolls with the sleeve retracted from the tube sufficiently for that purpose, and

Fig. 4 shows a modification in the means for connecting the sleeve with the rotatable member which operates it.

Fig. 5 is a view of the mandrel and sleeve disconnected, at the joint.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

The frame A of the rolling-mill carries in usual manner the traveling housing B which supports the mandrel holder C. The latter has formed upon it of known form and is also provided with a raised screw-thread C which en ages a corresponding internal screw-threac formed in a sleeve D. The latter extends beyond the end of the mandrel holder C on to the mandrel E which is connected to the mandrel holder by a joint E to be hereunder described. Suiiicient length of screwthreaded connection of the mandrel holder 0 and sleeve D is provided to enable the latter to be completely retracted upon the mandrel holder when it is desired to uncover the joint E The sleeve D is free to rotate and to move endwise in the housing B, and carries upon it a spur-wheel F, to receive which a recess B in which it can rotate but not move endwise, is provided in the housing. The spur wheel F is operatively connected to the sleeve D by a feather D which engages a featherway D in the sleeve D, of a length to provide for the latters full endwise travel. A pinion F meshes with the spurwheel F and is fast upon a shaft F rotatably mounted in the housing B and operatively connected to an electro-motor (not shown in the drawing) which is preferably mounted on some part of the traveling housing B The connection above referred to for the mandrel holder C and'mandrel E is made by reducing the end of the latter and forming in the so reduced part a T-shaped end E which can engage by a lateral movement a correspondingly-shaped slot C in the side of the mandrel-holder C. lVhen the sleeve D extends over this joint the mandrel E cannot be accidentally disengaged from the the feeding-spiral (3 this way the tube can mandrel holder. By. employing this form of joint, mandrels can be rapidly changed, and are always securely locked when the sleeve D is in its normal position.

In use the sleeveD occupies shown in Fig. 1 thus securing the joint E and receiving on its end the thrust of the bloom or tube H during the rolling process.

Sufficient frictional grip exists in the threaded connection of the mandrel holder the latter rotating during the known without rotathe mandrel C and sleeve D to insure freely in the housing B action of the feed spiral C tional displacement upon holder 0, and during wheel F is carried around with it, thus r0- tatin idly and in harmony with it the pinion s aft F and theYelectro-motor to which it is connected. 7

As the unfinished end of the tube H aproaches the rolls J the electro-motor is so operated as to rotate the pinion F to thereby cause the spur-wheel F and sleeve D to be rotated relatively to the mandrel holder C so that the threaded connection between the last two causes tracted from the end of the tube H. In be completely rolled to its end thus utilizing a part thereof usually wasted. It will be apparent that to move the sleeve in the opposite direction it is only necessary to reverse the direction of rotation of the electro-motor.

It will be seen that by suitably arranging the gearing the sleeve D can tracted durin the action of the spiral feed device by simply holding the shaft F against rotation, and can also be advanced by rotating the shaft F at a higher speed than it would attain when idling.

In the modified arrangement shown in Fig. 4 the featherway D is given a spiral path, and this arrangement in conjunction with an appropriate pitch of the thread C on the mandrel holder allows the sleeve to move rearwardly as the thrust of the tube upon it increases and tends to become excessive. For instance, assuming the gear F to be fixed on the outward stroke, the sleeve D would travel backward in a spiral path of great pitch. At the same time the screwed mandrel holder would move backward but would not revolve.

The sleeve, however, would move back in a straight path relative to the mandrel holder a dlstance equal to'that spiral movement of the sleeve transmitted through the threads C there being no tendency to jam. It will be seen from this that the sleeve would travel a greater distance horizontally than the mandrel holder and would leave a ap between the sleeve head and the hollow loom, thereby enabling troduce the extracting door or gate and facilitating the withdrawal of the mandrel.

the position 7 this action the spur-- gearing -may be employed.

the sleeve D to be re to secureby be re-. 7

the operator to in- Further, on the return stroke the gear F would be free to revolve, when there would be no spiral motion imparted to the sleeve, but nevertheless, the mandrel holder would revolve through an angleofabout 90 caused by the spiral G working in the ratchetbox at the rear end of the machine. (This latter, not being shown on the drawing.) It will be seen from this that when the operation of rolling is nearing the end, the gear would be locked by some suitable means which would allow it to move in one direction only and this would cause the sleeve to retreat from the hollow bloom automatically and positively, by successive stages, and leaving the end clear for finishing.

This backward motion of the leeve would also, incidentally, assist the motor driving the gear F to ick up speed. M

It is to un'erstood that this invention is not limited to the employment of spur wheels and pinions to operate the sleeve, for which purpose any appropriate type of Furthermore, for the junction of the mandrel and mandrel carrier, any form of head other than a T- shaped one may be employed provided it will transmit both torque and end-thrust.

It will be understood that to suit various diameters of mandrels correspondingly sized sleeve are employed.

What I claim as my invention Letters Patent is 1. In a tube rolling mill, the combination of a mandrel holder, which is progressively advanced and partially rotated, a tube carrying madrel connected thereto, a sleeve screw-threaded upon said mandrel-holder, and extending over the junction of the mandrel holder and mandrel, a shaft geared to said sleeve and normally rotating in harmony with it, and means, for rotating said shaft variably with reference to its normal movement, substantially as set forth.

2. In a feedmechanism for a tube rolling mill of the type referred to a sleeveadapted to engage an end of a bloom, means for positively retracting the sleeve from the bloom, or returning it thereto at will, comprisinga shaft parallel with the sleeve axis geared to the sleeve thereby to be rotated normally in harmony with it, and driving means whereby the said shaft may be rotated at a speed above or below its normal speed, or may be stopped and have'its direction of motion reversed, substantially as set forth.

3. A feed mechanism for a tube rolling mill as claimed in claim 1, in which the sleeve extends through a rotatable member which travels with the mandrel holder, a connection being provided between the sleeve and the rotatable member which permits endwise, and also rotary relative motion, substantially as set forth.

4. In a feed mechanism for a tube rolling mill as claimed in claim 1, the employment of a j oint to connect the mandrel holder and mandrel which can be disconnected by a 5 lateral movement and is locked by means of the sleeve aforesaid substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribinv witnesses.

fAoQUEs REIMANN. Witnesses:

DOUGLAS BoNNEY, T. H. JOHNSON. 

